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Monday, March 7, 2011

Why Tina Tagle Made Her Blog Private

Readers have been asking me why they can no longer access the blog of Tina Tagle, the real housewife of Dasmarinas Village, Makati. Tina started her blog in 2000 as a personal online diary and she has written entries that are very personal. If you were able to read her "walang ka kiyeme kyeme" blog before it became private, she shares random topics ranging from fashion to family issues to household chores. When Chvaness featured her, many readers visited her blog and were hooked to her honesty and candor. Her readership increased further when she was featured in the newspaper. Due to her blog's popularity, her family members requested her to make it private because some of the stories she shared are not for public consumption.

I missed the chance of meeting Tina the last time she went out with some friends. I heard she is a gracious and down to earth lady. I am actually looking forward to hang out with her sometime.

Follow me on twitter: micsylim and like fashionpulis on Facebook. Send your stories to michaelsylim@gmail.com. I will be waiting.

51 comments:

Her writing style is so engaging that I spent 2 days (and most part of the night) reading her fashion blog (serendipity) and personal blog (willowtree), editing assignments be damned. LOL! Too bad I can't anymore. Paging, Ms Tagle, can you open it, even for just a day?! Hehehehe!

Maybe you mean, "candid" entries?... Anyway, I know how you feel. I used to read her blog, it was so funny and witty. There were a lot of stories that made me laugh out loud, even at the office. It was the feature in the Inquirer that triggered her family to ask her to stop, since I guess that mean that her blog was mainstream na talaga.

@ Terranova: Tina has a self-deprecating humor. She writes how her sons laugh at her English grammar and spelling. She is quite proud of being from the province and doesn't pretend otherwise.

As for being shallow, I feel the same way about her until I get to read her earliest posts from 2002-2003. There you will feel her pain, anger, loneliness and grief. I cried reading one of her posts. After that, I was able to appreciate her and rejoice in her triumph and "celebrity" status. When I look at her photos now, I can still see the pain and loneliness. She's just very good in masking it. She writes because it is therapeutic to her or else she will go nuts.

After all that she's been through, I suppose she has to love HERSELF. And she deserves it.

@Terranova, Anonymous is correct, there were a few posts on her blog where she talks about her sons laughing at her grammar, and she even tried to have one of them edit her blog. So she knows that her grammar isn't perfect, she just doesn't care.

As for the story about her son, yes, I was shocked about that too, but you have to take into account that before she became a "celebrity", her blog, although open to the public, was only read by friends and people who chanced upon it, so there really was minimal chance that her son's story was going to be leaked to the whole country (to be honest, I also kind of blame the person who put it in his FB/twitter account, without asking for Tina's permission, especially since they knew each other naman.

As for the outfits, those posts aren't my favorite parts of her blog either, but I just skip through those. I don't think she's being mayabang (especially since, like I said, it's not like she was advertising her blog everywhere). Besides, there are millions of people who do that on lookbook with the sole purpose of sharing their outfits with the other lookbook users, so if Tina's mayabang, then you could say the same about the people on lookbook, too.

Although all this is moot, already. She's made her blog private hence we can no longer call her mayabang or careless of her son's privacy.

@terranova: Of course people know that anything on a public blog is public domain. Your implication that people don't realize that is an arrogant one, at best.

I suppose she just never thought that it would get THAT big. And you can't blame her for that. All it took was once mention by Chuvaness, and the rest is history.

And on lookbook, well that's the entire point of the site, isn't it? To have other people look at your outfits. So if attention seekers and people who have too much time on your hands annoy you, then don't go to lookbook. Just sayin'.

After reading all the staunch defenders of T.T.'s blog, I guess you all miss her everyday entries, since you all seem to view her as some sort of mirror of your selves.One comment here says it was therapeutic for her to write her feelings. I agree with that because I do that also, let everything out through writing, and it really helps, but these things are private matters and I will never have put them in a blog. I write mine in a journal I keep under lock and key.

@ terranova-- your term - as to Ms. Tagle being "not really a native to english" is downright a typical biased comment of an imperialistic manilenya (am supposing you are manilenya and NOT from some far flung luzon province as u say u speak tagalog)! i can read between the lines that some of your manila women are just plain inggit that a provincial lass (cebuana) married up, looks fab in most of her outfits, was able to make a name for herself in the blogging world -inspite and despite of grammatical errors, and as you judged her - shallow!!!! LOL

"After reading all the staunch defenders of T.T.'s blog, I guess you all miss her everyday entries, since you all seem to view her as some sort of mirror of your selves."

This made me laugh. Who are you to make judgments as to why people read something, and what sort of pleasure they get from it? Who do you think you are?

@Terranova: "Not native to English"? Aren't we ALL Filipinos not "not native to English"? I grew up with English as my first language, and I don't consider myself "native to English". I put "native to English" in quotes because, what does that even mean? I guess you're not "native to English" as well, since your choice of words is not exactly top notch.

And how can you make that judgment about people on lookbook if you've never been to the site? You "don't even know exactly what's there" (again the quotes, I don't want your grammar to be mistaken for mine), yet you can make that judgment?

@terranova: I'm sorry you feel bombarded, but I suppose the hostility comes from the fact that you were so quick to judge Ms. Tagle's English, when yours is not exactly perfect. To use your own words, Tina's "Ain't no English professor, either, sistah."

I suppose the reason people are not asking the anonymous person to expound on the allegations that Tina is not a real Tagle is because that's bordering on the libelous. To say that she's fake is one thing. But to say that someone isn't really someone's wife is quite the accusation.

While I find myself intrigued by that as well, that's a potential can of worms I'm not willing to open myself. And I'm guessing everyone else feels the same way. With the exception of yourself, of course, since you mentioned that twice already.

For those who are just middle class, trying to get day by day people like me, I too enjoy reading T.T.'s Blog. Why?It is just nice to know that not all richie rich people are stuck up and matapobre. I can not afford her luxuries, but is fond at looking at them in her entries. I'm not inggit naman ah, hanggang wishful thinking lang.

i have read tina tagle`s blog before it became private, i believe that there is only one correct side for every argument, just like in exams, there is only one best answer in a multiple choice question ( the other choices are also correct just not the best choice) , hmmm, since it is a blog it is public, no if`s , no but`s, if you want privacy then you should have placed it private from day one or email your messages , there is no such thing as semi -private / medyo private na naging public na now gagawin ng private. hmmmm, me naman, i didnt think of her as mayabang with those outfit but it was highly improper to be putting up those pictures in a third world country where 80 % are poor, where the cost of one pair of shoes is worth 3 months salary, that`s what you call being sensitive, just like not saying bad things about the dead kahit naman bad person siya,

@Eric: It's not like Ms. Tina was advertising how much her shoes were. If the price of her shoes is the first thing that you think about when you read the posts about her outfits, then maybe it's you who needs to readjust your perspective.

well, i think you know what i mean but i just mentioned the shoe as an example, it should be obvious that everything she wear from dress, pants ,accesories are all expensive, my point was the projection of extravagance/opulence in relation to the population/ country you live in, i guess it`s ok if you show your outfit say , 3- 4 times a month, but you and i have seen that its almost a daily thing that a new set of outfit is shown, yes , it is her money and to each is own, but as what the comments above said, since you placed it in a blog, then you should accept criticism whether positive or not and not be balat sibuyas, i am sure for tina tagle , she showed those pictures with no bad intention or being insensitive but other viewers may see it differently , ano ang iisipin ng tao if a couple check in sa VICTORIA court ??? well may be they just slept , but hey that is subject to a lot of interpretation, also i have not known of any blogger who post their outfit wearing generic/ local brands which cost 200 pesos per outfit???? so yes i look at her outfit and yes i think of the price kasi obvious naman yun ang point, i dont think she takes pictures and post it for us to see her face diba????araw araw eh same face naman yun, for those who look at the outfit and dont think of the price and add up the cost of the attire plus bag eh, ewan ko na lang kung ano ang tinitingnan nila( w/c btw i dont find anything wrong with that )

@ericMe, I used to read her blog, and I never once tried to add up the cost of her outfits. I could've if it ever crossed my mind, but it never did. I suppose it's a matter of perspective. I guess some people see a nice bag/pair of shades/pair of shoe, while others choose to see food for a family of 5 for a month/tuition fees/downpayment for a car. Which is fine. The problem I have with the latter, though, is when it gets miscontrued as "pagyayabang" or Tina rubbing it in our faces that she's rich, when, in the first place, it's the reader who decided to look at the outfits in that way anyway.

tina tagle may be rich but if you guys had read her earlier posts (in the willow blog), you'd see she also went through A LOT of pain and suffering involving her family. her posts there were the stuff (a lot of it super sensitive) that family soap operas are made of so i was not really surprised when she took down that blog.

^^yup. I read that too. That blog was actually still open for a few days after her Serendipity one clsed (I suppose she forgot about it?). And the Willow blog is a lot more controversial, and had a lot more material that her family would've been upset to read.

I am just so tired reading all this about her bags, clothes.... Which are obviously from sources not to be bought from, but since all these local designers find her so intetesting why dont they sponsor her with their local works!! Since dream niya ata maging model, and if these designers are really her friend then they should start with her.. Para matapos na all the comments and peace come to everybody.

I love those last two comments, yes she should ask chuvaness to become her manager and she can become the ambassadress of filipina fashion instead of fake fashion! I would like to see this really materialize!! It would be great for filipina mom fashion, she should just look for a make-up artist nalang. Lets get something positive going!!

hahahaha! "she should jut look for a make-up artist nalang" killed me!! these last few comments are really precious!! love 'em!! i agree anon@apr1/2:34pm, let's get something positive going and promote our Pinoy fashion for a change and not overpriced, unaffordable (except for the elite set of course) foreign brands! ♥

"she can become the ambassadress of filipina fashion instead of fake fashion"

Reality check please! Calling the work of foreign designers fake is downright ridiculous. Fashion has nothing to do with nationality, race, or geographic location. How would you feel if people called the work of philippine artists fake on the basis that they weren't made in the philippines? Jeez. Besides, Supporting filipino designers does not mean you have to belittle foreign designers. Open your mind a little.

To those who are saying that her clothes/accessories are "from sources not to be bought from" and that she wears "fake fashion", what's your basis? I'm genuinely asking, because it's not like you can tell from the pictures from her old blog naman. Do you guys have firsthand information? Because this has come up a few times already, but no one's really come forward with a concrete story or instance. I'm just curious.

can't help it, I just need to comment even though this would be useless since ms. tina's blog is in private mode now.

Her outfit post were posted for friends who keeps on asking her about fashion advise. she posted them to guide on how to come up with an ensemble. It was not to flaunt her wealth. One comment implied that she shouldn't be flaunting those pics showing her designers clothes, bags and shoes since the entire ensemble alone is equivalent of one year salary of an ordinary Filipino--- pls, kasalanan ba nya that she can afford all those stuff. As long as the money used to buy those things are not from the people then by all means flaunt it. It's not being insensitive to the poor Filipino people.

She once had few haters, one particularly named "Rose" who's goal in life is to lambaste her on her blog.. she constantly claim that her bags are all from Greenhills. Maybe that's where the rumors came from.

For the longest time, Ms. Tina only had less than 50 followers, less than 30 even. Most of them friends, so everything she wrote on her blog (public or not) was mainly for her friend. Just like sharing your day-to-day tsismis with a friend. Not until CVS stumbled on her site that in just 3 days she gained more than a 100 followers. The personal stuff she wrote that "shocked" the sensibilities of readers was for private reading only even it was posted on a public domain---beside not every one has accounts on all blog site.

Where's her daughter studying now? i didn't catch the last few posts of her blog, is it at Ateneo or La Salle? I don't really understand why they'd enroll her at British School Manila if she's only going to end up at a local uni here in the Phils. Those two schools may be good locally but they will never hold a candle to unis outside the Phils.

I think her son studied in Ateneo, not sure about the daughter... As to enrolling her at BSM if she's only going to end up in a local university, they can enroll their child wherever they want. It's their money. They probably just wanted their child to have the best secondary education she could get, regardless of where she ends up going to university. Besides, it's not like they knew she was going to end up in Ateneo (IF she's going to Ateneo) when she started at BSM.

Yes because it baffles me, if she's content to study in Ateneo(?) for college then why bother going to an IS in the first place? Intl schools mainly caters to expat kids who want to go to other countries to further their education. She might as well have studied in a local private school here because clearly it wouldn't have made a difference.

If you were in their place would you be content to send her to Ateneo/UP/DLSU? I know I wouldn't. Ang mahal-mahal ng tuition sa BSM tapos dito lang pala sa Pinas mapapadpad.

If you were a parent, and if it was within your means to enroll your child in BSM or any IS for that matter (without consideration of where they might go to college), you're saying you wouldn't do it? I would want to give them the best possible education they could get, and if BSM could give it and I could afford it, then BSM it is. Even if I'm don't know where they'll be going to uni. Also, when you say "She might as well have studied in a local private school here because clearly it wouldn't have made a difference" (may CLEARLY pa, ah) how do you know BSM hasn't made a difference? How could you tell that the daughter would be the same person, would have the same school results, would have learned the same things if she went to a local private school? Come on.

Most likely the kids were enrolled there since primary school, I doubt they were thinking about college options that early. I'm sure going to school abroad was an option, but I doubt it was a done deal. Besides, there are other factors you're not considering. Maybe the daughter doesn't want to go to school abroad or maybe her parents don't think she's ready to live on her own abroad. Maybe they'll send her abroad eventually. Maybe she'll take her masters abroad. Who knows.

as a previous reader of TT's blog, I can attest that a majority of the stuff (bags, shoes, clothes, etc.) were fake. Although I found her postings entertaining, it was disappointing to see that much of the stuff she was flaunting weren't the real deal. For some of her things, they weren't blatantly obvious, but upon closer inspection, those that have a trained eye for spotting a fake can easily identify that they just weren't authentic. For example, some of her bags had upside down logos, or designs that were never produced by the designer, etc. Same goes for her watches and clothes.

This is not to say that she doesn't have good taste. I give her credit where credit is due. She is an entertaining writer. Clearly, she has an eye for putting outfits together. However, it needs to be pointed out that she misrepresents her stuff by implying that her stuff are real when they arent :(

attending international schools doesn't necessarily mean that you're supposed to go to a foreign university or college. we don't know what their reasons are for enrolling in local universities. we can't criticize them for doing so, either. to each his/her own.

I must admit, I never really looked at the photos of the bags really closely. I'm there mainly for the stories about her life, her kids, her household help, etc. That's what makes her blog really worth reading for me, and not the outfit posts. So I guees that's why I've never really noticed an inverted logo. Unless it was a HUGE (which Tina Tagle would've noticed) one, then you must have some very sharp eyes to catch that.

Also, I can't claim to have knowledge of every single bag design a brand has made, so I can't really say "Oh, Chanel never made that type of bag" or "Bottega's Cabat doesn't come in that color". I guess I don't have a trained eye. But kudos to those who know every single type of bag that Chanel, Mulberry, Hermes, Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton, etc. have made. That's an encyclopedic brain you've got there.

Well, there are some bag aficionados out there. I can't blame them. Does it matter if she's using fake or not? eh kung kaya naman nyang dalhin. besides most of the people reading her blog are into her "life" not her clothes/bags/accessories. so why bother whether it's fake or not?

Why are some people put off with TT flaunting different outfits with bags and shoes to match, faux or authentique?Did it stab your heart and your sensibilities? She would've understood kung hindi mo kaya. While her blog amused you, it must've been painful for you to read her blog everyday and having to see her display of richness, eh?

The fact that some people say those things about her makes me think you live a very, very sad life.I am neither an English professor.

I get to read her earliest posts from 2002-2003. There you will feel her pain, anger, loneliness and grief. I cried reading one of her posts. When I look at her photos now, I can still see the pain and loneliness. She's just very good in masking it. She writes because it is therapeutic to her or else she will go nuts. -iona young March 13, 2011 11:28 AM

browneyedgirl said... if you guys had read her earlier posts (in the willow blog), you'd see she also went through A LOT of pain and suffering involving her family. her posts there were the stuff (a lot of it super sensitive) that family soap operas are made of so i was not really surprised when she took down that blog. March 29, 2011 2:28 PM

My post was in no reference to what she had gone through in the past years BUT how the people bash her just because she can afford the luxury to dress herself up in different designer items, which seemed bragging to some people.